Middletown Student, A Shooting Suspect, Expelled From School

MIDDLETOWN — A Middletown High School student accused of taking part in the fatal shooting of a Meriden man last June has been expelled from school.

Alex Rivera, 17, of 344 Ballfall Road, will be placed in an alternative tutoring program for the remainder of the school year.

The board of education during a meeting Wednesday night cast a unanimous vote to expel Rivera for 180 days. Rivera's name was kept confidential by school officials during the meeting, but his expulsion was confirmed Thursday by his attorney, John R. Donovan of Meriden.

Rivera was one of five youths charged in the shooting death of 27-year-old David Laureano of Meriden on June 28. Rivera and three other suspects, all from Meriden, were originally charged with conspiracy to commit murder. But state prosecutors say those charges are going to be reduced.

Assistant State's Attorney Gary Nicholson said Thursday that the charges against Rivera and the three other suspects are going to be reduced changed to first-degree felonious assault and conspiracy to commit first-degree assault. Nicholson said a further additional investigation into the case revealed no basis for the more serious charges against those four suspects.

The fifth suspect, Alberto Nieves, 17, of Arch Street in Meriden -- who police say pulled the trigger -- was charged with murder. His charge has not changed.

According to police reports of the incident, Laureano and two other men started arguing with another group of men in front of 101 Hobart St. in Meriden about 8:30 p.m. The fight escalated and one youth, Jose Hernandez, 15, of 101 Hobart St., was seriously injured when he was beaten with a golf club.

At one point during the fight, Nieves pulled out a .25-caliber handgun and shot Laureano as he lay on the ground, police say.

Rivera is the second student from Middletown High School to be expelled because of pending criminal charges related to incidents outside of school. Last year, a student was expelled after he was arrested and accused of carrying a loaded handgun.